India tourist guide, useful information for travel and holidays in the state of South Asia, climate, when to go, documents and how to get there.
India in a nutshell
- Capital: New Delhi
- Area in sq km: 3,287,782
- Population: 1.169.015.510 (2006)
- Religion: Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhs, Christianity and minor religions such as Zoroastrianism and Jainism.
Where is it
India (Bharat Juktarashtra, Indian Union), South Asian state is bordered by China, Nepal and Bhutan in the north, Myanmar and Bangladesh in the east, Pakistan in the west.
The peninsular area is washed to the west by the Arabian Sea and to the east by the Gulf of Bengal (both are part of the Indian Ocean); the strait of Palk and the Gulf of Mannar separate India from Sri Lanka.
Territory
The territory of India can be divided into three large natural regions.
- L'Tabular plateau of the Deccan, formed by very ancient rocks bordered by two mountain systems (Eastern and Western Ghats)
- the mountainous system of the Himalayas (Jammu-Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and Assam to the north) flanked to the west by the Karakoram chain
- the indogangetic plane, located at the foot of the Himalayas, formed by recent and ancient alluvial deposits, humid and tropical in the eastern part and sub-desert in the western part corresponding to the Thar desert.
Hydrography
The rivers that formed the indogangetic plain are the main rivers of India. The Ganges, the sacred river of India, originates in the southern Himalaya, flows parallel to the Himalaya chain and flows into the Gulf of Bengal together with the Brahmaputra in a single delta.
Brahmaputra, born in south-western Tibet, flows through China for most of its course, in India it crosses Assam and enters Bangladesh.
The Indus, whose valley is also important from a historical point of view, having been the cradle of a very ancient civilization, was born in western Tibet, flows north-west through the state of Jammu and Kashmir, enters Pakistan and flows into the Arabian Sea.
Climate
India has a tropical monsoon climate that varies according to altitude and distance from the sea.
Recommended readings- India: useful information
- Mumbai (India): what to see in old Bombay
- Bangalore (India): what to see in the capital of Karnataka
- New Delhi (India): what to see in the capital
- Calcutta (India): what to see in the city of Mother Teresa
The climate is characterized by monsoons blowing from the south west and north east. In the rainy season, from June to November, the monsoon blows from the south west which first hits the west coast and then gradually spreads throughout the country.
From the beginning of December to the beginning of March, during the cool season, the northeast monsoon blows, which determines a dry and temperate climate.
In mid-March the hot season begins (in May there are very high temperatures), in June with the arrival of the monsoon the heat is lessened.
Population
The population of India is a mosaic of peoples formed through repeated migrations, invasions and mixes; the main ethnic groups that compose it are: Indo-Aryan (72%), Dravidian (25%) and Mongolian (3%).
Time zone
In India it is necessary to move the clock hands 4.30 hours ahead of Italy, (when the daylight saving time of 3.30 hours ahead is in force in Italy).
Spoken language
In addition to English and Hindi (official languages), the local languages spoken by the Indian population are numerous.
Economy
India is a country with very strong contrasts, with a technologically capable human capital that has contributed in recent years to the development of industries related to software and industrial design.
India is one of the world's largest software producers and the call centers of western companies are widespread. This development has mostly favored the population belonging to the highest social states with a higher degree of education; poverty always remains a big problem to solve.
Agriculture is the main activity, the main agricultural products are: rice, wheat, corn, sugar cane, tea, cotton and jute. Significant is the breeding of cattle which are used for working the fields, for the production of milk and for the supply of leather but are not slaughtered because the Hindu religion prohibits the consumption of meat considering the sacred animal.
The territory of India offers mineral resources such as coal, oil, iron ores, gold and precious stones. The industry in addition to the IT and telecommunications sector is active in the steel, chemical and textile sectors. The film industry is highly developed.
When to go
The choice of the period for a trip to India, from the climatic point of view, is oriented to avoid the monsoon season and the too hot months. For the regions of Ladakh and Kashmir, the months from May to October are preferable since the winter months are too cold.
The period of time from June to November is not recommended because monsoon rains affect the various locations in the country at different times. In general, the hottest months of May and June should be avoided, preferring December and March which offer cooler and drier temperatures.
Necessary documents
To enter India, the Italian citizen must have a passport with a residual validity of at least six months upon arrival in the country. An entry visa is required which is issued only by the Indian Embassy in Rome or by the Indian Consulate General in Milan.
The Indian authorities do not issue visas upon arrival at the airport.
In the event that you only need to transit in India (for example destination Nepal, Maldives or Sri Lanka) you must obtain before the departure of the transit visa which is issued for a maximum period of three days, without which it is not possible to leave the airport in case of delays in flight connections.
Phone
- The international code to call from Italy to India is: 0091
- The international prefix for calling from India to Italy is: 0039
Cell phones work in almost the whole country excluding rural areas. It is advisable to purchase a local card to be inserted in your mobile phone
Electricity
The electric current in India is 230 V 50 Hz. DC is used in some areas. Sockets type C, D, M. An adapter is required.
Currency
The official Indian currency is the rupee.
In the main cities it is possible to change the euro and travelers checks, there are also ATMs for withdrawals, while there are difficulties in the smaller centers.
The most popular credit cards are accepted in high-end restaurants, hotels and clubs.
How to get
plane
Air India is the Indian flag carrier and does not organize direct flights between Italy and India, but operates via Frankfurt, London, Paris, Vienna and Zurich with flights to various cities in India, in addition Air India operates in code share with various airlines , including Aeroflot, Air France, Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss International Airlines, Turkish Airlines. Other airlines that organize flights to India are British Airways, Finnair, Brussels Airlines.
Vaccinations
Travelers from Italy are not required to have mandatory vaccinations to enter India.
However, anti-tetanus, anti-tetanus and vaccination against hepatitis A and hepatitis B are recommended.
Some hygienic measures are recommended, including drinking only bottled water without adding ice, eating cooked meats and vegetables, fruit only if peeled personally.
To brush your teeth, it is good to use bottled water, it is also recommended to take out health insurance before departure.
